Bananas Foster Bread Pudding Muffins

If you have a few gnarly bananas and some stale old bread you could be eating a bananas foster bread pudding muffin in no time at all. No flambé necessary.

It’s all the goodness of that great dessert without ever having to light a fire. I’ve never considered the whole flambé thing made at home because I’m a chicken. I can’t even imagine lighting a flambé in a tiny apartment with a fire alarm system that goes off when the oven temperature is above 350°F.

You should see the walk of shame that happens when 800 people pile out of the building into the night when the alarm goes off because someone burned microwave popcorn. It isn’t pretty. Which is probably why most of the recipes on the Canteen bake at 350°F or lower. Someday I might have a kitchen with an oven that can reach 450°F without sending everyone out into the night, but it isn’t here. I digress – but that’s a long way around to tell you not to flame the bananas. No need.

Browning the butter and caramelizing the bananas and sugar along with a spot of Rum (off the heat, please) add all the interesting flavors you want. This isn’t plain old banana bread – though I’m not knocking that – we even have a category for bananas in the index. Bananas are good stuff but this muffin is Anna-Banana good.

About the bread cubes. Make them small cubes since they are going in muffin liners. Also, keep in mind that if the bread is freshly stale and squishy still, you will want to use slightly less (see notes in the recipe). The fresher cubes will absorb more liquid than drier cubes. Pressing them into the muffin liner makes the muffin a little more dense, which is what you want, but press gently so they aren’t too dense. It took a few tries to get this just right, so be patient and if they seem a little more dense than you like, try the recipe again later on and use a little less pressure pushing the cubes into the liners.

Also, these would be great served with a little whipped cream or ice cream on the side. I know – it’s a muffin, but it’s also a dessert. And there isn’t a rule that you cannot have dessert for breakfast, right? If there is, I’ve been guilty of breaking that rule for too many years to count.

Eat these slightly warm and they are definitely best on the day they’re baked. But then again, you probably won’t have leftovers anyway.

Preparing the bananas using this method will give the muffin a caramelized flavor that would not be present otherwise. Think banana muffin elevated. Makes about 14 to 16 regular size muffins.

Ingredients

Bananas Foster

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

50 grams granulated sugar (1/4 cup)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon nutmeg (consider this a pinch)

250 grams gnarly banana, diced (3 medium, very ripe)

1 tablespoon dark rum (optional)

Muffin

325-400 grams ¼–inch cubed GF bread or challah (5-7 cups) (see notes)

57 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled (4 tablespoons)

4 extra large eggs

160 grams whole milk (3/4 cup)

1 teaspoon vanilla

60 grams maple syrup (4 tablespoons)

Instructions

Bananas Foster

In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat until nutty brown. Add the sugars, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir until the sugar is fully melted and beginning to bubble, about 30 seconds. Add the bananas and stir to coat. Remove from the heat and add the Rum, if using (alcohol added off heat only). Cool mixture for five minutes. Puree mixture in a food processor or blender.

Muffins

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place cupcake liners in a muffin pan.

Place bread cubes in a large bowl. In a medium bowl whisk together butter, eggs, milk, vanilla and maple syrup until blended. Stir in bananas foster mixture to combine. Pour over bread cubes and fold with a silicone spatula. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes or until the cubes start to absorb the liquid.

Fold again. Scoop into cupcake liners until almost full. Press gently and fill the liners again almost to the top. Bake 12 minutes and turn down the temperature to 325°F. Bake 20-30 minutes more or until the tops are dark golden brown and puffy and a toothpick comes out dry. Cool for a few minutes and remove muffins to a rack and cool almost to room temperature. Best served slightly warm the same day.

Notes

If the bread cubes are fairly fresh, they will absorb more liquid so use the smaller amount indicated in the ingredients list. If the bread cubes are really stale and hard, use more but not more than indicated in the larger amount in the ingredients list.

Oooh, I bet those are really, really good, Lisa! I’m weak for bread pudding, banana bread, and bananas foster so I know I will love these. 😉 You made me laugh about the lack of flambé but, no, I bet that situation would not be desired at all. 🙁 But these yummy muffins are most definitely desired!